When the Levee Bends then Breaks For You
by lakeia
Summary: Edward has never doubted the love that he has for Bella Swan. As a matter of fact, he believes it to be one of the truest, most unwavering things in his existance. So imagine his surprise when an unexpected friendship arises between him and Angela Weber.
1. Preface

**Title**: When the Levee Bends and Breaks For You

**Rating**: PG-13

**Characters**: Angela/Edward, Edward/Bella, Angela/Ben

**Timeline**: Eclipse/AU

**Summary**: Edward has never doubted the love that he has for Bella Swan. As a matter of fact, he believes it to be one of the truest, most unwavering things in his undead life. So imagine his surprise when an unexpected friendship arises between him and the shy, Angela Weber and he is forced to discover what he can and can't live without.

**Disclaimer: **All characters that belong to Stephenie Meyer belong to Stephenie Meyer, I'm just borrowing.

**Notes:** This preface is a little unorthodox because it starts in _medias res_ or "in the middle or midst of things". Chapter one will pick up 3 months ago, from the beginning to explain how everything got this way. This has been on my mind for such a long time; I finally just decided to get it out. And also, it's been rather hard to find Edward/Angela fiction, so I got to it. Hope you enjoy!

Promotion: Angela/Edward Livejournal Community- Sense of Kinship- .com/senseofkinship/

***

**Preface**

She told me to never pity her; to never rest my eyes on her with any look of forlorn or sadness, because death—as tragic as it may be—was also a part of living. I wanted to believe that maybe this concept was so foreign to me because I'd existed on this earth for over a hundred years and never truly felt—never truly lived nor loved—until I'd met **__****il mio cantante** in the form of the human, Isabella Swan. Not only did her warm, sweet blood sing to me, but for the very first time in what seemed like an eternity, I knew what it felt like to be complete and with purpose.

This was my truth.

This feeling my absolute, but as I stood by the bed side of my frail friend, I realized that unlike Bella, it wasn't her blood that kept me grounded at her side, unwilling to leave.

It was her heart.

I felt as if a part of me was slipping away with the young girl as she struggled to breathe on her own. Her small, clammy hand rested lovingly against the cool, marble skin of my cheek and I leaned into her touch, almost desperate. I wanted to hold her here—to keep her with me even when I knew that with all the power that I possessed, I was completely helpless to save her.

"Lay with me?" she requested, voice barely above a whisper and quickly I obliged, unable, or maybe just unwilling, to deny her anything at this point. I waited patiently as she slowly moved over in the small hospital bed to make room for me before slipping in easily as I'd done every night for the past three months.

I molded into her, adjusting her head so that my arm become her makeshift pillow. I pulled her to me and sighed with breath that I no longer needed. It was a sigh of relief when I felt the rhythm of her heart beating against my chest. I could hear it just fine from any point within the room, but it made me feel better to have her this close. Holding her made her tangible, like maybe she couldn't slip away unless I made the conscious choice to let her go. And there wasn't any time when I could see myself doing that, so I held on as tight as I possibly could without hurting her.

The morphine that dripped into her IV to dull the pain made her drowsy to the point that her thoughts became hazy—a mystery to me. This, I did not like and often I found myself more anxious and worried than usual. I was so accustomed to hearing her thoughts that to be without them gave me a mere taste of what it would be like if she were not here with me.

It was absolute torture.

I wanted to know what she needed of me at such a critical stage of her illness. I wanted to grant her whatever small pleasures that she desired in the time that we did have together.

"This is nice," she breathed softly, nestling against my chest. "This is all I need."

It was as if she were reading _my _thoughts now.

Her breathes quickly became shallow and I could tell that she was falling asleep. I lulled her, gently stroking her face as she dozed. "Sleep my angel," I whispered close to her ear. "Sleep and I shall be here when you open your eyes."

She sighed contently, a smile on her pale lips and I knew within a few passing minutes that she was lost in slumber. Left to my own thoughts, I was more torn than ever.

I'd never fully understood why Bella's friendship with the young wolf, Jacob Black was so hard for her to shake, or more importantly, why it was so hard for me to accept. The issue of him being a werewolf and I, a vampire was only a minor source of the level of animosity that I felt toward the young man and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that even though Bella loved me, there was also a part of her that cared deeply for Jacob as well. He was her best friend. There was a connection there; a mutual feeling of respect, admiration, and of love.

In the past, this idea of two kinds of love that occupied the same heart was an enigma to me. I'd never known a love like the kind that Bella and I'd shared; therefore, I did not understood how such a thing could exist, especially if one felt as strongly as I did about her.

To have your heart torn between the love you feel for one and the growing love you share with another…?

It was so basic; so _human_, yet I was in awe of it all. It certainly was not a position that I expected to find _myself_ in, but lo and behold.

It was selfish of me to want them both; to have my Bella, but to also keep the wonderful girl that rested so peacefully in my arms. I looked down at her angelic face as she slept and couldn't help but think that maybe, I had it all wrong from the beginning.

Maybe it wasn't the fact that death had eluded me for so long that I was unable to accept that it was a natural part of life—a natural part of living.

My logic was less complex than that.

I just honestly could not imagine a world without the kind and beautiful, Angela Weber in it.


	2. Part I

**Title**: When the Levee Bends then Breaks For You

**Rating**: T

**Characters**: Angela/Edward, Edward/Bella, Angela/Ben

**Timeline**: Eclipse/AU

**Summary**: Edward has never doubted the love that he has for Bella Swan. As a matter of fact, he believes it to be one of the truest, most unwavering things in his undead life. So imagine his surprise when an unexpected friendship arises between him and the shy, Angela Weber and he is forced to discover what he can and can't live without.

**Disclaimer: **All characters that belong to Stephenie Meyer belong to Stephenie Meyer, I'm just borrowing.

**Notes**: Part I takes place 3 months prior to the Preface.

***

**Part: I**

"Hey Jess, where's Angela today?"

I slowly peaked up from my uneaten meal at the curious tone of my love, Bella Swan. She'd asked the trite human, Jessica Stanley the whereabouts of Angela Weber, a kind, yet shy girl who usually occupied a seat at this very table, but oddly enough was absent today.

As a matter of fact, as I allowed myself to think back on this previous week, Angela's presence had been surprisingly scarce. In a very rare moment, I found myself just as curious to know the answer to Bella's question.

_"How the heck should I know? I'm not her keeper," _Jessica's thoughts read but instead she said, "I have no idea. I've been calling and texting her all this week, but she's not answering her cell. I even tried calling her house but no one picks up," she explained, worry marring her heart-shaped face.

"That's weird," Bella turned to me. "Angela's not the type to just miss so many days of school and not tell anyone, especially her friends. Do you think she's okay?"

"I'm sure you need not worry about her," I offered in an attempt to lull her worries away. "I'm sure she's fine," I nodded.

Having access to the minds of young teens, I was never surprised by their lack of diligence when it came to attending classes regularly. Frequently, I read thoughts of plans to skip certain classes or even the idea of ditching school all together in favor of some recreational activity.

Even I was guilty of this from time to time.

Bella sighed, seemingly soothed. "I guess you're right but," she lowered her voice to a whisper, apprehensive of the others who sat at the table. "Edward you don't think that something…?" she allowed her voice to trail off as her eyes conveyed all her concerns and even though I was incapable of reading her thoughts, I got the message loud and clear.

She was worried that Angela's absence might have something to do with a vampire.

It was a valid concern with the red-haired, Victoria still out on the loose, but I doubted that she even knew of the human girl, let alone felt the need to attack her. Victoria's need for revenge rested with me and me alone. She wanted me to suffer as she has by taking away the one thing I loved most in this world and even though I felt a certain twinge in my chest at the thought of Angela being attacked or worst; she was certainly not the one I held most dear to my heart. That honor went to the brown-eyed young woman who sat beside me. The fact that she was so worried about her friend, made me worried about her.

"Would you be put at ease if I offered to go by her home and see if she is, in fact, all right?" I asked. Even though I was skeptical that a vampire was involved, Bella was right about Angela's attendance. School was important to young girl. She worked hard in all her classes and more than once I'd heard her internally agonizing over the latest reading assignment or test so the fact that she was absent all week shouldn't be taken lightly, I suppose.

"I couldn't ask you to do that Edward," she replied, although I knew from the pleading look in her eyes that it was what she wanted me to do.

I smiled at her. "You didn't. I offered." I knew that if she were capable of going over herself, she would have but due to the fact that she was still grounded, that wasn't an option. A part of me was happy about that just in case there was any actual danger.

"Thank you," she said and I felt her relax.

It was settled.

On my way to pick up Carlisle from the hospital—we were going on one of our hunting trips this weekend but because he was working later than usually, he instructed me to simply pick him up on the way home—I would stop by Angela's home to see if the girl was indeed all right. It was, after all, the least I could do.

Angela had been a wonderful friend to Bella when she'd moved here from Phoenix. As a matter of fact, I considered her one of the only girls who genuinely cared about Bella and held no ulterior motives when it came to befriending her so it wasn't just the least I could do, it was the right thing to do.

When the final bell rang ending the school day, I met Bella in the parking lot by her old Ford pickup. As part of her punishment for the motorcycle stunt, she wasn't allowed to associate with me or any of her friends outside of school. This was the only reason why I was not driving her home myself.

"Will you please call me and let me know about Angela?" she asked after I'd given her a gentle peck on the lips, reluctant as always to say goodbye.

"You really shouldn't worry so much," I told her as I opened the door to the truck and allowed her to slide behind the wheel. Once her feet were clear, I closed it shut. "I'm sure she's fine." Bella nodded though I knew the dark-haired girl still rested heavily on her mind.

"Yeah…" she said before turning over the engine. She looked at me with that longing that came when we had to leave each other. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had plans to sneak into her bedroom later tonight like always, but as I'd mentioned, there was the hunting trip.

I waited until she pulled out of the parking lot before I made my way over to my car. Alice and the others had already left to go pack up the Jeep so all I had to do was complete my task of locating Angela, making sure that she was indeed well, before heading over to Forks Hospital to pick up Carlisle.

Angela's home wasn't hard to find at all.

I'd heard her give her address to Ashley Dowling for a study session once and subconsciously I'd stored it away like I did so many things I'd heard in the minds of humans. I never thought that I'd actually have any use for knowing exactly where Angela Weber rested her head at night, but here I was.

I parked near the street before crossing the lawn and heading up the porch of the suburban home. It was the typical two-story home, with a white swing for lounging on the edge of the porch. There were no lights on inside, but I decided to knock anyway. I didn't hear any voices inside or any thoughts. I let out a soft sigh before glancing back behind me. With winter approaching, the days were growing shorter and the nights longer. I watched as the sun started to set.

"They're not home."

I turned at the sound of the voice and was greeted by a small, elderly woman. Obviously Angela's next door neighbor since she came from the house adjacent to hers. I walked off the porch to meet her. Stopping just at the edge of the lawn, I offered up my warmest smile.

_Poor child, it's just so sad_, her thoughts read, but I kept my face neutral as I spoke.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Edward Cullen. I'm a friend of Angela Weber who lives just there," I pointed to her house behind me. "Do you know where I might be able to find her this evening?"

She smiled at me. "Well, hello Edward. I'm Mrs. Dixon, but you can call me Emma. I must say, you have such lovely manners for a fellow your age," she admired and I gave her a short nod, smiling accordingly.

If only she knew the truth.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emma. Do you…know the Webers?" I asked slowly. My voice held mock curiosity. I already knew the answer. Next door neighbors were always privy to information about one another. I knew it wasn't my place to be asking questions of this nature given that I'd only promised Bella that I would check to see if Angela was at home. She wasn't so I should have simply left it at that, but I considered Angela a friend of mine as well and I was concerned for her. This woman seemed to know her whereabouts so I would simply ask the right questions until her thoughts or words (whichever came first) revealed information that was of use to me.

I watched with concern as Emma's aged face grew somber. She looked down for just a moment. "Yes I do," she sighed, remorseful. "And Angela…what a sweet girl. I hate that such a thing has happened to her."

"I'm sorry, what exactly has happened?" I shook my head confused. I tried to appear unfazed, but I was unable to hide the anxiety in my voice at hearing her words. _What did she mean?_ _What has happened to Angela?_ I probed her mind with such force that within seconds her thoughts were literally shouting at me.

_Cancer. That poor child…_

"What?" I breathed, looking at her with wide eyes.

"It's not really my place to tell you, but you seem like such a nice, young man and you're obviously a friend of Angela's," she trailed. "She and her family have been in and out of the hospital all week. She's been diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma—"

I didn't allow her to finish her sentence as I sprinted to the Volvo and sped down the highway towards Fork's Hospital. I didn't exactly know what I was going to say or do, if I would even enter her room, but I knew for certain that it was where I wanted to be.

All I had to do was follow her scent to find her. It was easy enough. She'd always smelt of sunlight and spicy cinnamon and when I reached the hall on the second floor of the hospital; I watched as her parents emerged from what had to be her room. I'd never actually met them but there was no denying how much Angela resembled her mother—the same dark hair and bright eyes. I even spotted the twins brothers that occupied her thoughts so much while at school. Careful of watchful eyes, I hung back at the end of the hall until they disappeared in the elevator.

I was supposed to be arriving here to pick up Carlisle, but instead all I wanted to do was see Angela. I didn't even know what I would see when I entered the room or what I would tell Bella about my discovery tonight. None of it really seemed to matter. All I knew for certain was that I wanted to see her.

I slipped into the room once the coast was clear, careful not to be seen by an oncoming nurse or make any noise as closed the door behind me.

The room was static and dark.

There was no movement and aside from the beeping of the monitors, the IV drip and Angela's shallow breaths, there was no real sound. I slowly walked over to her bed, bracing myself for the sight before me.

Angela was very still as she slept. So much so, that I couldn't help but to compare her to that fairy tale classic, Sleeping Beauty. She was a vision as she lay at rest. I'd never even noticed that about her before, but with the glasses she usually adorned on the stand by the bed and her rich, brown locks pooling around her head—free of her usual ponytail—I couldn't deny that aesthetically, she was beautiful.

She was also paler than usual.

Unlike Bella, Angela had somewhat olive toned skin. Her skin had a kiss of sunlight to it, but now her face was drained of most of its color. I didn't like it and the longer I stayed, staring down at her sleeping form, the more I agonized on whether this was something that I had the right to tell Bella about at all. Then again, how could I not?

***


	3. Part II

**Title**: When the Levee Bends then Breaks For You  
**Rating**: T  
**Characters**: Angela/Edward, Edward/Bella, Angela/Ben  
**Timeline**: Eclipse/AU  
**Summary**: Edward has never doubted the love that he has for Bella Swan. As a matter of fact, he believes it to be one of the truest, most unwavering things in his undead life. So imagine his surprise when an unexpected friendship arises between him and the shy, Angela Weber and he is forced to discover what he can and can't live without.  
**Disclaimer: **All characters that belong to Stephenie Meyer belong to Stephenie Meyer, I'm just borrowing.

**Notes**: This piece has not been beta'ed so all mistakes (if any) are my own. Enjoy and comment/review! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story thus far!

***

PART: II

To say that my thoughts were preoccupied during the hunting trip would be an understatement. Members of my family tried their best to figure out what was bothering me, but I spoke nothing on the matter. Rosalie, in fact, was the only one who seemed disinterested in my wistful mood, assuming that whatever problem that ailed me had something to do with Bella. She asked no questions and for once I was a bit grateful for my sister's ill feelings towards my other half.

"I'm going to find out eventually, you know."

It was Alice who spoke confidently at my side as we stalked a mountain lion just a few miles from the campsite. Emmett and Rosalie were further ahead.

"I wait with baited breath," I replied almost absently, eyes fixed on our prey. I wasn't telling her anything, but I knew that she was right. She would find out, but it would not by me. I thought briefly of returning home that night, but quickly dismissed the idea. If I were to go back early, I would knowingly find myself at Bella's house, and as much as it would warm my heart to have her curled up against me in sleep, I was still faced with the dilemma of telling her of Angela's condition.

This _dilemma_ gnawed at me throughout the entire weekend and as I waited in the parking lot for Bella to arrive at school on Monday morning, I'd come to the conclusion that I would not tell her of what I'd discovered. It would not be a blatant lie, but a "half-truth". I would inform her of my visit to Angela's home and the fact that she was not there, but I would withhold the information that the neighbor gave to me as well as the fact that I visited Angela in her hospital room that very night.

It was wrong to lie; I knew that. But it was also needless for Bella to worry herself over something that was out of her control. I would wait for Angela to tell her and the others of her illness as I'd originally intended. This secret was not mine to reveal.

I waited until lunch to get into the specifics of last Friday, telling Bella everything I'd done—to a certain extent of course. Though she seemed disappointed in my lack of findings, it was all too clear that she thought my visit a long shot from the very beginning. I let out a sigh of relief.

"I really just hope that she's okay," Bella spoke somberly. She took a bite of the apple in her hand. "If Charlie ever lets up with the grounding, I'll try to get over there to see her myself."

I nodded in agreement, though I didn't know how I truly felt about the idea. "I'm sure that when she's ready to see everyone, she will—"

"Hey guys!"

The rest of my words literally caught in my throat as I looked toward the end of the table just in time to see Angela slide easily into her once vacant chair. Her boyfriend, Ben Cheney was at her side.

"Angela!" There was a small chorus of excited yells at our table as everyone greeted their beloved friend. I, however, remained silent.

She didn't look at all like the girl I'd seen in the hospital just two days prior. There was color in her cheeks and that bright smile that I'd come to admire, played on her full lips. It would have been easy to assume that it had all been some sort of mix-up or a horrible dream (impossible, yes because I didn't sleep). Or perhaps, I'd stumbled into another young girls' room by mistake and the girl in front of me was not the one diagnosed with cancer.

If only life were that clear cut.

While Angela held that carefree smile in place, her thoughts were anything but. _Act natural_, they read to me, rather frantically. _They don't know anything so just act natural_.

"Angela, where have you been?"

It was Jessica's voice that drowned out all the others. Her tone was harsh, accusing even and I couldn't help but feel annoyed that her sour attitude was directed at Angela, especially given her fragile state. There was no way of Jessica knowing this unless told, but I couldn't shake the feeling that even if the shy girl was to come clean, Jessica Stanley would still find a way to make it all about her.

Slouching in my chair, I looked down at my tray of food as Angela explained her week long absence. Bella was downright ecstatic. She smiled eagerly at her friend's return while she fed them all what I knew was a lie.

I spared a glance at my brother Jasper, who sat across the table from me. He stared back at me oddly, bemused and I was quick to look away. I knew he could sense my conflicting emotions or maybe it was Angel's anxiety that roused him, but like always, he said nothing. Alice was a completely different story. I didn't have to look at her to know that she knew something was wrong. Telepathically, she asked me what was going on, but I shook my head subtly. As I swore, whatever she learned, it would not be from me.

As it turns out, Angela was a decent enough liar to convince those that sat at our table. However, given that these individuals included the likes of Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie, I wasn't _too_ impressed. But even Ben seemed convinced by her tale of going to visit her sick Aunt Esther in Wisconsin. I'd learned long ago that it was easier to construct a lie when there was some truth thrown in as well. Angela did in fact have an aunt who lived in the "_Dairy State_", but of course, she was not ill.

When the bell chimed, ending lunch, we all emptied out trays and walked out of the cafeteria together. Bella was quite animated over Angela's safe return. I was happy that she wasn't worrying any longer, but I felt guilty knowing that her ease would be short lived. It was clear that Angela intended to tell them all the truth; it was simply a matter of when.

"Angela, are you coming?"

I looked back, as did Bella, to see Jessica looking at her friend worriedly.

Angela stood at the edge of the table, gripping it tightly. Her eyes were closed as she took in slow, deep breaths. In that moment, I felt a strong urge to reach out and help her, but doubted that I could get that close without receiving more than a few questioning looks. I didn't have to make the decision, however, when Ben came rushing to her side to steady her. She seemed grateful for the support he provided as he rested one hand on her waist, the other cupping her cheek gently.

"Ang, you seem a bit warm," he said, voice filled with worry. The genuine concern he felt for her made me proud that I'd stepped in (with the assistance of Emmett) to get the two together nearly two years ago. At the time, it was Ben who Angela longed to be with and since I owed her for allowing Bella and myself to share some alone time in Port Angeles on the night I saved her, I felt inclined to give her whatever, or as it turned out, whomever she wanted. It just happened to be Ben.

The human boy led Angela back to one of the empty table, the cafeteria nearly cleared out as students hurried to class.

"I'm fine," she assured, brushing his hands away. She put on that picture perfect smile once again and I quickly discovered that I distasted it very much. It was contrived; not at all the person that Angela was so I concluded that it didn't belong anywhere on her sweet, honest face. A part of me hated that she was marring my image of her with this unnecessary façade.

I wanted to tell her that it was all right; that she would be fine and we all would be here for her, but of course I did not. It wasn't my place to do so.

"Tell Mrs. Astrid that I'm gonna be a little late to class. I suddenly have this _monster_ headache so I'm just gonna go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face," she explained to the group before standing back up.

Bella was the first to step forward. "Do you want one of us to go with you?"

The "_other_" obviously referred to Jessica but the shallow girl seemed annoyed that Bella would even offer her assistance without her consent. She didn't verbally refute the suggestion nonetheless.

"No," Angela answered, quick to decline. She urged Ben to go to class as well; eager to make her escape to the restroom for fear that someone would see the holes riddled throughout her story. She didn't wait for anyone else to speak up as she brushed past Jessica and Alice, heading down the hall.

With my keen sight, I noticed that she was losing color once again, looking almost as pale and clammy as she had lying in that hospital bed.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Bella whispered to me once the others walked ahead. Her tone made me aware that she was giving me license to tell her what was going on inside Angela's head, to see what was troubling her. I merely shrugged.

"You heard her—she's just feeling a bit under the weather. I think it might have something to do with that chilly, Wisconsin weather this time of year," I lied easily before placing an arm around her. Pulling her close, we walked to her next class. This was a free period for me, but I walked with my love as I'd always done. "She's back in one piece…you shouldn't worry so much." I encouraged kissing her hair just briefly before letting her go as we'd reached the room.

She offered me a smile in return though it was clear that her thoughts were still on Angela. "I know…it's just that she's been such a good friend to me. If something's wrong, I'd like to try to help, you know?"

I nodded. I did understand where she was coming from, but she could only help Angela if she actually wanted to be helped and at the moment, it was obvious that she did not.

"Will you be here after my class ends?"

I caressed the side of her cheek, lovingly. "Where else would I be?" I leaned in to kiss her just as the bell rung, signaling the start of class. When we parted, I watched with a crooked smile as she walked inside. Other latecomers rushed in behind her.

During my free hour before English class, I usually headed back to my car to listen to some music and today was no different. However, when I passed the restrooms on the way out, I couldn't stop myself from backtracking to check on Angela. Looking cautiously up and down the hall, I took a peek into the girls' restroom before walking inside. Much to my relief, Angela was the only one inside. I found the young girl slouched over one of the faucets, rinsing out her mouth with water. A faint stench of vomit lingered lightly in the air.

Oblivious to my presence, she let out a weary sigh as she rested the side of her face on the linoleum countertop. A satisfied moan then escaped her lips and I knew it was the coolness of the surface that brought her such solace, undoubtedly combating that fever that Ben had spoken of earlier.

A few minutes went by before she stood up straight. She grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser on the wall in front of her before wiping her mouth. It was only when she threw it in the trash bin to her left and turned to leave did she see me posted at the entrance. She jumped in surprise, letting out a stifled yelp as her hand covered her heart. With wide eyes, she stared at me before straightening up her slightly disheveled clothing—desperate to appear normal amidst this abnormal situation of me cornering her in the girls' room.

With the initial shock waning, she wondered what I was doing here. To be honest, I wondered the exact same thing. Rather than allow more awkward silence to take over, I said the first that came to mind.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were all right?" I took a step closer. "_Are_ you all right Angela?"

She was slow to recover, but she did so all the same. "Yeah," she nodded, gesturing to the door. She made a move to pass me, but I found myself blocking her way.

She was not fine.

Without giving it any thought, I placed a hand on her forehead to feel her temperature. She of course shivered against the coolness of my touch, but within seconds I heard her let out the same content moan I'd heard her mutter earlier. She leaned into me eagerly, eyes closed as she relished the cold.

"Oh that feels wonderful," she breathed lost in my touch and only a few seconds passed before she caught herself. Her eyes popped open as she realized how she must have sounded, but I was unfazed. I smiled even, placing another hand alongside her neck to get a better read on her. It was actually the first time that anyone beside Bella had found comfort in my cool touch, but I understood that it was not romantic on Angela's part whatsoever.

Her skin felt like it was on fire.

"Angela you're burning up," I said, truly worried for her, but she just sighed. Hastily, she stepped away from me. "I think I should take you to see someone," I urged.

"I'm fine," she swore yet again. I was starting to think that she believed that if she said it enough, it would come true. "I must be coming down with the flu or something, but I took some medicine already. I'm feeling much better."

She didn't look better. As a matter of fact, a thin layer of sweat covered her skin and she looked as if she were about to faint at any moment. I grabbed her forearms to steady her as she started to sway slightly.

"I could take you to the nurse's office." I doubted the nurse could do much for her, but Angela's parents surely would not have allowed her to return to school without informing school officials of her health.

"I said I'm fine!" Angela snapped and if it weren't for her weakened state, I would have sworn that she was trying to push me off of her. I didn't release my hold. I watched as her eyes narrowed at me and her lips pressed into a thin line. I didn't need to read her mind to know that she was crossed with me. She was upset that I was not taking her _bravado_ routine at face value. I smiled despite the situation. I'd never seen Angela upset with anyone so it was sort of cute (in a way) to see her angry being directed towards me of all people.

I'd never heard her raise her voice, or talk maliciously about someone that she didn't know (a common practice among teenage girls). But here she was thinking and in a way, telling me to "_shove off_".

Who would have thought?

When I released her, she moved to walk pass me and this time, I allowed it. I was prepared for her to walk out, but she paused just at the door. Her voice was small when she spoke, already regretful of her outburst just a few seconds before.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

She apologized, but I wanted to tell her that it was not need. It was clear to see that she was trying her best to be brave and strong, but I could hear the fears that rattled inside her head. Yet, I only heard them when she was around me; I could not imagine feeling as scared as she was all the time.

No—actually I could.

It was such a long time ago, but I remembered what it was like to be a scared, 17-year old boy waiting to die of the Spanish influenza in a hospital in Chicago. Maybe that was why I felt this undeniable urge to do something to help Angela. I had no one left after my mother succumbed to the illness and in the end it was Carlisle who changed me into a vampire rather than have me slip away completely. Angela, of course, wasn't like me. She was not alone in her ordeal, but I still found myself wanting to be there for her all the same.

"I appreciate you wanting to help me, but I will be _**fine**_." She spoke with such conviction that I dare not argue against it. She wasn't simply assuring me; she was assuring herself as well.

"I'm sure you will be," I offered with a nod. "Bella was worried about you. I just thought that…" I didn't speak of my own concerns for her health.

Angela smiled, "Bella's such a good friend." She looked down briefly before adding, "And so are you Edward. Tell her that I'm gonna be fine okay."

"I'll be sure to pass it along."

I watched as she exited the restroom. In her wake, I couldn't help thinking that everything was all wrong, that fate was playing a cruel, twisted game and undeserving Angela was paying for it. As I headed for the exit, I felt relieved that no other female had walked in on us, but as I crossed the threshold, I faltered. As it turned out, luck had nothing to do with it.

"Alice," I smiled curtly. "What are you doing here?"

Her stance was relaxed, casual even, as she leaned against the wall opposite the restrooms, yet I knew it was all for effect. She obviously had something on her mind, and Alice being …_Alice_, didn't waste any time in sharing her thoughts with me.

"I'm just wondering how you think all of this is going to play out Edward?"

I ignored her as I walked out of the side door exit, toward my car. Alice was following in tow. "I don't know what you're talking about," I replied coyly. I'd didn't do coy well, especially when the other party knew of my ability to read minds and as it turns out, Alice was in no mood to play games with me. She stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

"Edward!" she pleaded, looking up at me with sadness in her eyes. It was as if she was disappointed in me for something I'd done, yet I hadn't done anything. It was obvious that she'd had some sort of vision, but I had little interest in seeing what she apparently saw.

Then again, when did that ever matter?

A flood of images came to me at once, some distorted, some as clear as the night's sky. All of them included Angela. Her body pressed intimately against my own; her smiling at me. There was even a vision of me stroking her hair while she rested soundlessly in my arms. Then there was only darkness.

With a resentful sneer, I pushed pass Alice and slid into my car. "It doesn't mean anything Alice. Just leave me alone."

Thankfully, she did.

My sister's visions were subjective. This meant that I would have to make the conscious choice to allow myself to be that close to Angela for all her premonitions to come to past. Yes, it was true that I wanted to help Angela, but what I saw in Alice's head was near impossible as far as I was concerned. It was something that I did not want, nor could see ever coming into fruition. Plus, friends laughed with each other. They held each other for comfort. It did not have to mean what Alice undoubtedly thought it did. My heart yearned for Bella as it always had. I loved her and that would not change just because I decided to befriend Angela Weber.

"You're wrong Alice. Nothing is going to change."


End file.
